Koch Brothers Hire Former Netanyahu Aide to Head Israeli Outpost

Former Director General of the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office Eli Groner will be leading the Israel location of Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT), the venture capital arm of Koch Industries Inc., the company announced Tuesday.

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Jewish Insider first reported the appointment. KDT is a subsidiary of Koch Industries, a privately held company with $110 billion in revenue and operating in over 50 countries, according to company statements. KDT was founded in 2017 and is based in Wichita, Kansas.

KDT’s first investment in Israel was a $90 million investment in medical device company InSightec Ltd. Koch industries later invested an additional $10 million in the company.

Groner previously served as Israel’s Minister for Economic Affairs to the United States, and as a special advisor to the chairman of Tnuva, Israel’s largest consumer packaged goods company.

Groner also spent several years playing for Israel’s national fastpitch softball team, according to the Embassy of Israel to the United States’ website.

“The opening of this office is a testament to the ingenuity and promise of Israeli entrepreneurs,” he said in a statement.